Lost In Time
by Sky Kurosaki
Summary: A new world must be exactly what the now ex-speedster need after being ready to sacrifice all that was he. But in his new journey he will find himself anew.


**LOST IN TIME**

Chapter 1: The Arrival Of The Flash.

The open space was devoid of any human life, having not seen it for many decades resulting in the barren land, dotted with patches of tall grass, few meters in height. Few land critters roamed the red soil, looking for sustenance and shade.

This peace and routine was broken by the load hissing noise emitting from an unknown point in space. Then out of nowhere, a shimmering wall comprising of floating bubbles appeared in the air, a few feet above the earthen ground.

The portal sizzled and the bubbles vibrated, twisting and shifting their shape and size repeatedly, before sticking to an approximate constant size, indication that the portal was stabilized. As soon as the shaking and morphing reduced to an apt state, a red mass with yellow trailing behind zipped through the portal and came to an abrupt halt, just a few meters away.

Jay Garrick looked at the city in the distance and the familiar yet unfamiliar feeling washed over him once more. In his long life as a speedster, he had travelled to many locations on his Earth, ate Big Belly Burger from Starling City for breakfast and that famous Pizza with the Pepperoni and Mushroom toppings – whose name he always forgets - from Coast City for lunch. He had even travelled back in time and had made mistakes that still haunt him in his dreams and remind him of those mistakes in every decisions that he had made since then. Although he deserves every hardship for the horrible mistakes he did, he had always wished that he didn't have to. From that day, he had made sure to never repeat them, even when it felt like the world's burdens on his shoulders, were just too much to bear, where he wished to travel back in time again at the moment he became The Flash and to right what was wrong.

And now he had to see the consequences of life altering mistakes, again. The only difference being is that his place was now replaced by that of the young Flash. Jay had learned and hardened to a near tangible form, that, never to change the past. But for once more he wanted to do just that.

Not for himself, no. For Barry.

Looking at the young Flash in question, he had to imperceptibly shake his head in disbelief, not knowing how the situation dragged to the worse, from the moment Barry decided to save his mother.

But one thing he knows for sure, is that, this was the rock bottom, from here and out, things are just going to get better. But…

He knows, the shadows of the mistakes and their repercussions will always be carried by the young man in his heart, lumbering it with guilt and regret of unsurmountable amount. Too much, even for himself to bear.

"Barry", he waited for Barry to acknowledge him, but when no signs came, he continued, "…this is it."

One of the lesser known facts in the many worlds he had travelled, is of the multiverse – a concept or rather a concrete fact of universe comprising of many universes or dimensions – and even a rarer known fact about a speedster is that they can travel through those dimensions.

All by Themselves.

In Barry's dimension, for them to travel through time they **think** they need two things the most, Cisco or rather Vibe for opening the dimensional breach and a speedster usually of choice, Barry, for travelling through the breach. But in reality only one thing is needed and that is speed, which a speedster has in abundance.

The key difference being is that each dimension in the multiverse vibrates at a different frequency than the others. And the scientists in the STARS Labs did not know that. Even the Harrison Wells from 'Earth-2' in all his wisdom about Speed Force did not know that. But he knows.

After all which is better to tell about a speedster than experience.

He had been 'The Flash' for over five decades now. In his life as a speedster he had known to accept a single fact, that nothing is impossible in the unpredictable cosmos. But even he was flabbergasted after this not so little discovery.

"You know it was kind of weird being carried like that. I just experienced what it feels like to be the receiving end of that." Barry commented after a lengthy pause.

A small smile lit the aged Flash's face at the dry response. "Well if you are well enough to joke around, then I guess I do not have to give the speech that I was just about to give you."

"Please don't. I have enough of those from Joe to last a long while." Barry said with fake desperation before his face took a solemn countenance, "… but you know I wouldn't mind hearing one of his infamous dad cop speeches." He finished with a sad chuckle.

"Okay now I have to give it, whether you like it or not." Jay said but before he could even open his mouth, Barry interrupted, "Stop. I know what you are going to say. But please there is no need for that. I was just remembering."

Seeing the rather accustomed stubborn look, Jay relented, "Look I know you are coping with this as much as you can seeing the, uh, weird situation you are in, but I just want to tell you this final thing," at this Jay crossed the distance between them and placed a hand on Barry's shoulders. Squeezing reassuringly, he continued, "… even if they are not here with you in the physical sense, they will always be with in your heart and your mind, supporting and loving you with all their heart."

Jay let Barry sink his words in his mind before he clapped rather forcefully, startling Barry a bit. "Hmm, let's get you settled here. You just wait a minute, I am going to check on the current happenings in this Earth and af-"

"Wha- wha-what? You don't know what is happening here. For all we know this Earth could have its own Flash and all the other superheroes and villains. I thought you said you know where we are going and there were no super powered individuals on this Earth." Barry interrupted Jay with a stricken and disbelief look on his face.

Jay heaved a sigh, he knew it was one of the possibility that he could discover some unpleasant individuals in this particular Earth, but he was confident that that was not the case here. The last time he visited here was well over twenty five years by now and the time span was ideal to for Reverse Flash to organize the whole portrayal. Without any indication he raced towards the visible city skyline to find the nearest computer with active internet connection.

Barry looked at the disappearing red streak before glancing at his legs. Even when they have stopped working they still were not atrophied. Perhaps because they were immobilized just few hours prior?

By the time it took Barry to complete the thought, Jay had returned from his investigation.

Jay looked at Barry before he spoke, "Well I have news, but it depends on you to decide whether it is bad or good." Jay paused, took a deep breath and then continued, "There is no Barry Allen on this Earth and continuing on that line of thought, there is no one on this Earth that you know of personally, aside from,"

"Aside from who?" Barry asked with a raised eyebrow when it became apparent that Jay was hesitating.

"…aside from Dr. Harrison Wells and the S.T.A.R. Labs." Jay finished with a grimace, expecting a dreadful reaction.

But all he got was confusion as Barry's face scrunched, "Wait a minute, you are saying there is no Barry Allen but there is Harrison Wells. If that is the case then, it means there is no Reverse Flash on this Earth too and the Harrison Wells here is the original and not an imposter."

"But Barry there is something else that you must know. The Harrison Wells of this Earth is dead."

Barry's eyes widened a bit, before he looked down with a baffled frown, "But how he died here. I mean on my Harrison Wells and Tess Morgan, his wife, were killed by the Reverse Flash. And if there is no Eobard Thawne here then how come they are died? I am to assume that they were dead after the construction of S.T.A.R. Labs was done, because it was Thawne that started the work on S.T.A.R. Labs."

"Barry there is no record on how they died. It was just that both of them were found dead in their bedroom on the night of the announcement that S.T.A.R. Labs will be opened for operation. And the lab is not in Central City, in fact there is no Central City here. The lab is in National City."

"...National City?" Barry uttered in confusion, "…But we do not have any National City on my Earth."

"That is completely understandable Barry. There will be many differences that you will encounter throughout your time here. Some minuscule, some glaringly obvious things that will not escape your eyes. The next thing that I will say will solidify this fact." Jay stated with wisdom coloring his voice."

"What Jay?"

"Remember Barry how I told you there were no superpowered people on this Earth on my last visit?"

"Yes?" Barry asked tentatively.

"Well that seems to have changed. There are many superheroes and supervillains on this Earth just as there are on your Earth." Jay said with looking directly at Barry, wondering what his next move will be.

"Of course there are." Barry said with resignation. "Just my luck. I changed my Earth address to protect my people, sacrificing my bonds and now here there are people need protecting, but the difference, I don't have any powers."

Jay stood in front of Barry in a flash startling him in the process, "Barry look me in the eyes, raise your head and brace yourself against what I am going to say to you now. It will be harsh and you may not like it one bit, but remember this is the reality now Barry."

Barry nodded and took a deep breath before forcefully exhaling through the nose. He looked right at Jay and nodded again to show how ready he was for what was next to come.

"You do not have any powers Barry and the villains here are not the run-of-the-mill thugs. They have powers too and there is no Team Flash to support you now."

Barry looked down at this and gripped the armrests of his wheelchair tightly until his knuckles turned white from the lack of blood pressure.

Jay sighed before he crouched down and looked up at Barry's green eyes, "But you are a hero. Barry. You do not need to be a Flash to save people's lives – "

"But that's all I have been my entire life. Without the Speed Force, I am nothing. I am just Barry Allen, an ordinary man." Barry interrupted with a shake of his head.

"No, you are much more than an ordinary man, Barry. It's just by wearing the Flash's persona, the Barry inside did not get to shine as much. You know I believe that Fate choose to give you this chance to let yourself shine, to let others know the wonderful and genius man inside without the Flash's mask to cover you, just as the Fate chose you to give you the powers that night years ago." Jay said forcefully to Barry, putting both of his hands on Barry's shoulders to shake some much needed sense into him.

Barry chuckled at the words, "You know somebody said the same words to me just after I got my powers."

"Then he must have been a wise man, and you always listen to a wise man. Okay Bear?" Jay asked staring at him.

Barry's eyes got a little misty hearing the term of endearment. He nodded accepting the advice, but that does not mean he will not help people in any form he could. He just have to find a way to do that in his current predicament.

"Okay but wait, what about the people with powers? Tell me about them."

Jay shook his head, "No I am not going to tell you anything about them, you are going to find about them as it is, so there is no point in me giving you the spoilers. Barry we need to adjust you to this new world, not start a crime fighting team. They already have one here, - "

"Wait, a crime fighting team, like Team Flash?" Barry asked sitting a bit straighter.

"No not going there. In fact, I believe I have just found a way to get going with your new life here. Just give me a moment." Jay said, then started vibrating at a specific frequency all the while standing at the same space, until a portal opened few meters in front of him. Raising a hand and saluting Barry, he dashed at the portal and vanished in it. The portal closing right after.

Barry looked at the space where the portal existed then shook his head. He did not knew that a speedster could do such an amazing thing, travelling through dimensions anywhere, at any time. He had so much to learn, so many things to perfect, but now all the things were lost to him. If he got the chance to sacrifice himself for the people on his Earth and his loved ones, he would do it all over again, without hesitating.

…But it didn't make it any less shocking and disheartening.

He was gazing at the city's skyline as the afternoon sun started setting, giving the city a dark hue with the giant ball of fire in the background. The night sky was almost dark only shaded by the pink and red of the sunset. He was deep in thought, thinking what his life was going to be from this moment on. It was like high school all over again, with the unfamiliar place and faces and all together new experience.

Barry looked at the watch given to him by Joe, foster father but more like an actual father than anything. The watched did not work, it was a gift to remember and a sign of how proud and trustworthy he was in Joe's eyes. Even though the watch did not tell time he knows it has been a while since Jay has been gone. He just hoped that Jay do not find any problems while on his way.

Soon the tell-tale sign of the portal opening echoed and the dark surrounding was illuminated from the lights. The Flash of Earth-3 zoomed from the portal and came to a halt in front of the ex-Flash with a satchel bag in one hand.

Barry looked at the bag in confusion and asked, "What have you got there Jay?"

"This?" Jay lifted the object in question and answered, "This is all the things you will need to start a new life on this Earth, which by the way is named Earth-Barry." Jay finished with a smirk.

"Earth-Barry, but wasn't it Earth-38?" Barry asked in amusement. He has an inkling of doubt about whose idea this must have been, but he wanted to hear it from Jay.

"Yes, you got it right. Cisco renamed this Earth in honor of you, and to tell you the fact all the people were very supportive of his idea, for once." Jay said and threw the duffle bag at Barry who caught it in the nick of time, all the while fumbling and scrabbling.

"Whoa, hey!" Barry cried in fake outrage at the surprise.

"So Barry, ready to get settle in this new world of yours?" Jay asked as he moved to hold the push handles of the wheelchair.

Barry nodded resolutely and said, "As ready as I ever will be."

Jay nodded and muttered only for Barry to hear, "Don't worry Bear you will get adapted to your new environment,"

"… In a Flash."


End file.
